addle; upon
which his servant, who had led the horse, would have persuaded him to
retreat; but he said it was only a wound in the flesh, and fought on,
though soon after he received a shot in his right thigh. In the meantime
it was discovered that some of the enemies fell by him, particularly one
man, who had made him a treacherous visit but a few days before, with
great professions of zeal for the present establishment.

Events of this kind pass in less time than the description of them can
be written, or than it can be read. The colonel was for a few moments
supported by his men, and particularly by that worthy person,
Lieutenant-colonel Whitney, who was shot through the arm, and who, a few
months after, fell nobly in the battle of Falkirk; by Lieutenant West, a
man of distinguished bravery; also by about fifteen dragoons, who stood
by him to the last. But, after a faint fire, the regiment was seized with
a panic; and though their colonel and some other gallant officers did
what they could to rally them once or twice, they took to precipitate
flight. Just at the moment when Colonel Gardiner seemed to be making a
pause, to deliberate what duty required him to do in such a circumstance,
an accident happened, which must, I think, in the judgment of every
worthy and generous man, be deemed a sufficient apology for exposing his
life to so great a hazard, when his regiment had left him.[*] He saw that
a party of foot, who were then bravely fighting near him, and whom he
was ordered to support, had no officer to head them; upon which he said
eagerly, in the hearing of the person from whom I had this account,
"Those brave fellows will be cut to pieces for want of a commander,"--or
words to that effect. So saying, he rode up to them, and cried out aloud,
"Fire on, my lads, and fear nothing." But, just as the words were out of
his mouth, a Highlander advanced towards him with a scythe, fastened on
a long pole, with which he gave him such a deep wound on his right arm,
that his sword dropped out of his hand; and at the same time several
others coming about him while he was thus dreadfully entangled with that
cruel weapon, he was dragged off his horse. The moment he fell another
Highlander, who, if the crown witness at Carlisle may be credited, (as I
know not why he should not, though the unhappy creature died denying it,)
was one M'Naught, who was executed about a year after, gave him a stroke
either with a broadsword or a Lochab